Spring might be here, but that doesn’t mean we should stop being vigilant about germs and bacteria that can cause illnesses.
Here are 10 things you can do around your home to keep you and your family healthier all year long, from David Luchini, division manager of communicable diseases for the Fresno County Health Department and Connie Schneider, a nutrition, family and consumer sciences adviser with the University of California Cooperative Extension.
1. Wash your hands with warm soap and water – basically for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself twice.
“Our hands touch everything,” Schneider says. “Do it for 20 seconds and vigorously rub. That’s what’s going to help get rid of the bacteria.” Make sure you wash past your wrists.
Luchini adds this tip: “Instead of sneezing into your hands, get into the habit of sneezing into your sleeve. No one really touches that. On average, people tend to touch their eyes, noses or mouths about 200 times a day.”
2. Clean all doorknobs, door handles and toilet handles. Use a bleach and water mixture or antibacterial disinfectants found in stores, keeping in mind any manufacturer’s recommendations.
3. Clean or replace sponges, produce scrubbers and hand towels frequently.
“At the end of the day, I’m tossing (a sponge) and using a fresh one the next day,” Schneider says. You also can try “nuking them while wet for 2 minutes” in the microwave.
Make sure it’s not a metallic sponge. The sponge will be hot after it’s been microwaved. Do not nuke a dry one.
“Some people recommend soaking it in vinegar because it’s high in acid, which kills bacteria,” she adds.
4. Clean any surfaces, containers and cups that food will be prepared on or stored in, such as countertops and refrigerators.
5. Change your filters, including those in the refrigerator, heating and air conditioning units and vacuum. “That’s going to help with the total air and (home) environment,” she says.
6. Clean the microwave. “It is a place that harbors lots of bacteria,” she says.
7. Keep pets, pet areas and pet toys clean.
8. Scrub toilets, bathroom sinks, showers and tubs. Keep anything that touches the body clean, she says.
9. Clean cutting boards and use different boards for meats and produce. You can sanitize cutting boards with a mixture of a tablespoon of bleach and a gallon of water.
“You’re going to let it air dry and let it (the mixture) dissipate,” Schneider says. “It’s safe.” Check with the product’s manufacturer first, but you also can try putting them in the dishwasher.
10. Clean baby areas, supplies and toys. Keep manufacturer’s recommendations in mind, but hot soap and water is usually a good practice, Schneider says.
–Nzong Xiong, McClatchy Newspapers
